GAME RECAP
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Appalachian State managed to sack mobile Texas State quarterback Damian Williams four times in a 20-13 win against the Bobcats on Saturday.
Of Williams' 15 official rushing attempts, sacks caused him to lose 28 yards.
"We hit him hard," App State coach
Scott Satterfield said.
App State sacked Williams three times in the first quarter, with Flory taking him down early in the game and
Tae Hayes combining with
Myquon Stout on a sack. Two plays later, Townes sacked Williams, and
Tee Sims added a fourth-quarter sack. Sophomore cornerback
Clifton Duck posted his sixth career interception in the fourth quarter, returning the ball 41 yards to Texas State's 14.
Flory was in on his first sack since he shared one in his 2015 college debut. He also had a career-high nine tackles Saturday.
A junior cornerback, Hayes had never contributed to a sack before Saturday, when he recorded a career-high eight tackles. Senior linebacker
Eric Boggs led the team with 11 stops.
Flory and Sims added two quarterback hurries apiece.
DRAWING A LINE IN THE TURF
Similar to how the Rams won a Super Bowl by stopping a Titans receiver at the 1-yard line, App State safety
A.J. Howard has a play for his personal highlight reel.
Texas State had the ball at the Mountaineers' 7-yard line with 10 seconds left, and Howard tackled Elijah King at the 1 after he caught an over-the-middle pass from Williams. Time expired shortly thereafter, allowing App State to escape San Marcos with a dramatic win.
"Pressure was building, and we were pretty tired, I can't lie," Howard said. "We didn't break. That was the biggest key.
"I had the No. 3 receiver. I had no clue what he was going to do. I just reacted and made a play. I looked straight at the clock, saw zeroes, saw guys running onto the field and got excited."
Officials reviewed the play to make sure time had indeed expired and Texas State hadn't scored. The call on the field was confirmed as correct.
FRESH FACES
Last year, when an injury sidelined star running back
Marcus Cox,
Jalin Moore became the starter and true freshman
Darrynton Evans filled in as the No. 2 back despite beginning the season as a receiver.
The Mountaineers were in a similar predicament Saturday. Moore, the Sun Belt's preseason offensive player of the year, had one second-half carry before giving way to
Terrence Upshaw, who finished with 14 rushes for 60 yards and a touchdown to lead the ground attack for the second straight week. When Upshaw left the game, redshirt freshman
Marcus Williams Jr. wasn't available for the Sun Belt opener, so true freshman
Daetrich Harrington made his first appearance of the season.
Harrington played briefly, helping in pass protection before returning to the sideline. App State ran 10 fourth-quarter plays, and Upshaw had six carries for 27 yards.
"Upshaw really picked it up there in the second half," Satterfield said. "Jalin went down and didn't finish out the game, so Upshaw finished it out, and I thought he played extremely hard."
App State was 0-for-5 on third-down conversions and at risk of posting another three-and-out series late in the first half before Upshaw gained 13 yards on a third-and-12 rush.
Taylor Lamb completed a third-and-10 pass to true freshman
Thomas Hennigan and found Hennigan for his first college touchdown on a third-and-goal play from the 6.
Hennigan finished with 57 receiving yards on a team-high six catches, and
Malik Williams, another true freshman, had a team-high 68 yards on four receptions.
"Young guys, whenever you get your opportunity, get in there and make a play," Satterfield said. "They did, and I'm proud of them. The great thing about this win, we can correct mistakes after a win instead of a loss."
With Harrington making his debut and center
Noah Hannon joining the two receivers in the starting lineup, App State played four true freshmen on offense and eight in all phases.
Xavier Subotsch averaged 46.8 yards (with a 41.4 net average) on five punts, including a 58-yard touchback as he ran to his left to avoid being tackled, and linebacker
Tim Frizzell again appeared on special teams.
Demetrius Taylor made a tackle for a 5-yard loss, and fellow defensive lineman
Markell Clark had three tackles.
ODDS AND ENDS
Junior receiver
T.J. Watkins played for the first time since the 10th game of the 2016 season and had a catch on a screen pass. …
Chandler Greer made his second straight start at left guard, and opening-game starter
Tobias Edge-Campbell also played there in each half. … The Mountaineers, who use a three-man front on defense, played nine defensive linemen in the first 10 minutes.
